Blink
by DeiasuShaneru
Summary: AU- What if Mr. Gold was the one who got shot over the town line instead of Belle... without wearing the shawl?
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

**I've always wondered what would happen if Belle and Gold's situations- so to speak- were reversed. Also, this story is based on an idea I had suddenly gotten while listening to the song "Blink" by Revive. You can actually find several RumBelle videos on YouTube to go along with it.**

**And honestly- who really liked Lacey?**

**x~X~x**

"You're very quiet tonight."

Belle smiled, her eyes flickering away from the dark view of the woods that her car window provided. She gazed at her stern lover. The both of them on their way to the town line as he drove them there. "I'm nervous," she admitted, her eyes downcast.

"As am I," five strong fingers gently grabbed her own, "But it's going to be okay," he told her, his smirk small.

Attempting to cross the border ensorcelled with magic without a firm knowledge that he'd still be able to retain his memories?

Belle could only hope so.

She squeezed his hand tightly.

* * *

Arm linking with his, Belle slowly allowed Mr. Gold to lead them towards their destination not ten feet away. The both of them nervous. The shawl protectively clutched within her hand.

Once they'd reached the orange mark, they faced each other, and he pulled out the flask, its magical contents sparkling to life. As he yanked out the stopper, Belle holds out the shawl to him, and he pours the transparent liquid all over it, the magic tainting within. Giving her a coy smirk, he carefully bends over, and she drapes the shawl over his neck and shoulders. "Okay," she whispers with a chuckle, her faith uncertain.

He cradles her elbow, his countenance just as nervous. Still, he smiled. "Here we go."

Facing the town line, he lets go of her, inhales sharply, and steps over.

Belle holds her breath, and waits.

* * *

_"...Belle."_

Said woman released a happy laugh as her lover said her name, overly thrilled that he still remembered who she was, of who _he_ was. "You did it!" she breathed in delight, taking his hand as he held it out for her, allowing her the pleasure of pulling him back on her side of the borderline. "It- it worked!"

"Yes, it did, it did," he enthused right along with her, his smile contagious as he faced her. The both of them close.

Chuckling, Belle looked down at her heels. After all those months of watching him pour out his heart and effort into making this protection spell, he had finally done it. She knew he would do it. "Now you can find your son," she told him, his hand grasped within hers tightly.

With a tender smile, Mr. Gold pulls his hand away, and Belle watches- with confusion- as he carefully takes the shawl off of his shoulders. Handing her his cane, he then drapes it around her neck. His fingers lingering over the smooth fabric. Belle falters for words, glancing down at the material. "I... I don't understand."

Because she truly doesn't.

"Belle," he takes another step closer, the heat of his body comforting as he gazed down into her eyes. Eyes that had held him captivated since the first moment he'd seen her. He exhaled quietly. "You have to find him."

"...What?"

"It's safer this way," he kept his voice soft as he began explaining, "Regardless of Regina being able to keep her mother from ever emerging into Storybrooke, I fear that she will continue in finding a way to come here."He frowned. Cora's blood lust for power would never change. Of that he was certain. He shakes his head. "You must be the one to find Bae. Find him, and bring him back here."

Belle's mouth opened and closed with unsaid thoughts. "But... this is your son..."

"I know," his brown eyes soften. "If I'm going to take care of Cora, I'd rather you not be here to see me do it." It wasn't like he was killing for pleasure. The heartless witch was a threat to everyone, including to her own daughter.

Belle rested her hands on his own. "But... I don't even know what he looks like," she says hopelessly. Although she had seen several well-drawn sketches that Rumple had done of his teenage boy, how was she to what he'd look like now after 329 years?

He laughs softly, "You'll know." Brown eyes swirled with mirth. "If there's one thing I know about you, it's your ability at having an amazingly astute observation. Once you find Bae, you'll know if it's truly him or not. I trust you to know."

"...But..."

He caressed the side of her face, silencing her, "I'm not trying to burden you with this task alone. I'm trying to _protect_ you. This is the only way I can guarantee your safety." Cora was a dirty fighter for sure, but one he could definitely handle with potent effort.

Looking down, Belle took a long, deep breath, before finally, "I'll go." If he was doing this for her, she'd be doing this for him.

His face lightened. "You will?"

She nods, her smile watery. Rumplestiltskin had been trying his best to be a better man for her. The least she could do by showing him her love was by completing this request for him. From all the stories he'd shared with her about his son, she already felt like the boy was a part of her as well. "I so wish you were coming with me," she tells him in earnest. This was his journey. His reunion. And he was entrusting her to fulfill it while he stayed behind to keep Storybrooke safe. A noble man indeed.

He nods as well. "As do I, but..." he chuckles, "it doesn't matter."

She became confused. "Why not?"

Running the pad of his thumb across her cheek, he says, "Because you'll find him. And when you do?" Every inch of love is shown into that small grin of his. "I'll be here waiting for you when you get back."

Belle smiled, and he leaned down. She closes her eyes, their lips not even an inch away from meeting.

"What a touching display."

Startled, they both look up, and Belle only had a second to recognize the cruel twisted smile belonging to a certain pirate as he pointed the gun- _Rumple's_ _gun_- right at her.

Her blue eyes widened.

_"NO!" _The gunfire echoed all over the dark woods, and Belle soon found herself unceremoniously flung backwards as the back of her lover pushed against her, the both of them hitting the ground hard. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. But she wasn't injured.

Realization suddenly dawned in on her as she raised herself up on her elbows, her mouth gaping in horror.

Rumplestiltskin had taken the shot for her, and had fallen over the town line... without protection. "Rumple?"

He spasmed for a short moment as the changing magic electrocuted through his entire being. His hand grasping around the left side of his bleeding arm tightly while his other reached down to touch his crippled leg, his body hunching. He rolled to his side, away from her.

"Rumple!" Belle quickly crawled over to her injured lover, the shawl securely wrapped around her neck. Immediately, she turned him over to look at her, and her heart broke into a thousand fragile pieces. For when he gazed up at her, there wasn't a single trace of recognition within his brown, fearful eyes._ "Rumple!"_

"Who?!" He gaped in confusion, his mouth quivering with anger and adrenaline.

Oh, no. No, no, no. No!

He cried out as she touched his wound, and she quickly pulled back, her hand shaking at the sight of blood- _his_ blood- sticking on the inside of her palm and fingers. "Rumplestiltskin..."

"Don't touch me!" he snapped, trying his best to push away from her. "Stay away!"

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.

So caught up in the distress of it all, that the both of them didn't even acknowledge Hook as he casually walked towards the town line. The silver gun still held within his grasp. "A pity he isn't dead," he sneered as he came close, and Belle looked at him, her eyes narrowing in fearful fury. "But I've always wanted to skin myself a live crocodile."

He brandished his hook with an unforgiving grin.

Belle clenched her fists tightly.

The sudden sound of a car horn blared out from behind her, and Belle only had a moment to see the blinding lights speeding straight towards them before she sprung into action. Curling her arms tightly around Mr. Gold, she quickly- and with straining effort- rolled them both out of the way not two seconds before the vehicle zoomed past them. Out of the corner of her eye, she had just enough time to see the arrogant pirate being smashed into the windshield as they tumbled down into the deep, woodland ditch. Her body separating from Gold's as she released him, gasping.

On and on she rolled like a wild rock, her arms flailing out in vain attempt to slow herself down before she seriously became injured, her body screaming in pain at the many stones and dead branches she rammed over. With a sickening thud, she finally smashed into something hard, and knew no more.

**x~X~x**

**You guys like it? You want more?**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews from chapter one. **

**x~X~x**

The sound of a monitor's steady beeping slowly brought her to the world of reality as Belle fluttered her blue eyes open, her vision blurry. The bright light hovering above her making it all the more difficult to focus. She was lying comfortably on a bed, but felt heavy. Her entire body aching with numbing pain.

Clenching her teeth, she strained her head up, trying to see for herself if she truly was in the hospital... again. She touched the left side of her forehead, feeling a large bandage there.

"Easy there, tiger." Emma Swan came walking into the room, her smile crooked. "Let's not make this any more unbearable than it has to be."

The irony behind her tone sent Belle on high alert as everything came flooding back to her in a flash.

"Several cuts and bruises on the legs and arms, plus a rather nasty head-cut was the extent of your injuries." Emma sat on the edge of her bed, her tone gentle. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel... fine," she answered hesitantly with a croak, and her eyes widened. still had her memories. Excellent.

Relief washed over the female sheriff's face. "Here, drink this." She handed her a glass full of water, and Belle took it greedily, drinking it down. "So... you do remember me? You know who I am?"

Belle nodded, handing the cup back to Emma once she'd finished slaking her thirty. Thankful that the shawl had still been wrapped around her during that tragic incident. "I do... Emma. I remember everything," she sat up straight, wincing tightly. "Where's... where's Mr. Gold?" She caught herself from calling him 'Rumple?' "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, about that..." Emma scratched the back of her blond head awkwardly.

"Is he okay?" Belle pressed on, not caring if her arms, back, and legs were killing her at the moment. She needed to know if her lover was well... or even alive.

"He's fine," the sheriff finally answered, keeping her gaze averted. "He's just... out of it, for the moment."

Belle stared at her. "What do mean, 'out of it for the moment'?'"

"Sneaky bastard's stronger than I thought," was the murmured muse from Emma, earning her a glowering glare from Belle. She held up her hands. "Hey, I'm just being honest. Nearly tore off my head when we tried to sedate him down."

"Tried to sedate... what did you do? Where is he?"

"One step at a time, princess." Bracing her clasped hands in front of her mouth, Emma stared out in space, as if trying to figure out how she could tell Belle the truth without making her overly upset. "He's... he's not himself."

Belle resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I already know that."

"And not mentally insane either, he's..." Emma asked, then shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. There's about a hundred questions I could ask you right about now, but we'll save them for later. You're safe. The both of you are."

Glancing down at her clasped hands resting on her lap, Belle nodded, knowing that some time or later she'd have to tell her the truth. "He crossed over the town border," she told Emma, raising her eyes.

Emma nodded twice, silent.

"He was trying to protect me," her voice broke, the images replaying over and over in her head like a movie, "Hook. He tried to kill me, and Rumple, he..." she bit her bottom lip.

Long fingers grabbed her own, a comforting touch that Emma herself only knew how to offer.

Inhaling a shaky breath, Belle smiled at her. "He saved me. He took the shot from Hook, and I... we fell. It all happened so fast, I didn't think."

It wasn't like this was her fault, although a small part of her wished that their roles had been reversed. That her Rumple had been the one wearing the shawl instead of she. He had magic. He'd somehow find a way at bringing her back if she were to lose her memories due to the insane genius that he was. Not her. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to cry.

"How is it that you remember?" Emma wanted to know. If she wanted to get things settled, she needed information.

"The shawl," Belle answered, pulling her hands away, "Mr. Gold figured out a way on how to cross the town line without losing one's memories, with a potion that he created. We poured it over the shawl, and..." she chuckled, "and I'm still amazed that it worked, but..."

"Wait, wait, wait." Emma narrowed her eyes. "You're telling me, that your boyfriend found out a way to cross the border, with our memories remaining intact?"

Clever, sneaky bastard.

The brunette nodded, not at all feeling guilty. "He has his reasons."

"I'm... I'm sure that he did." Standing up to her full height, Emma smoothed out the wrinkles of her turtleneck sweater. "I better get going. There's a certain pirate in need of interrogating next now that he's awake. I just... I just wanted to make sure that you were okay first." She turned away. "See ya' later, Belle."

"Wait," Belle stopped her, and Emma faced away from the door, looking at her. "How did you guys get us back from the other side?" Last she remembered, she and Gold were tumbling out of control down on the wrong side of the border.

"Mother Superior," Emma shrugged, like it was a such a casual conversation to begin with. "Fairy wands are a lot more useful than I thought."

"...I see." Belle relaxed, her eyes pleading up to Emma's. "Can I see him? Mr. Gold?"

A rather odd expression crossed over the sheriff's face, but she nodded her consent nonetheless.

* * *

It broke her heart at seeing him lying there like a lifeless sack on the hospital bed. His face almost serene as he slowly breathed in and out in slumber, exhausted. Belle chuckled to herself. Of course they had changed him out of his typical suits into more comfortable hospital wear. She just... wasn't used to such a sight.

Carefully, she took stepped closer to his bedside, her face contorting briefly in pain. Regardless of what Emma had claimed, she had suffered more than just bruises and cuts to her arms and legs. The pain in her abdomen and back proved so otherwise.

Sighing, she looked down at him, and judging by how patched up he was, he had obviously underwent some serious surgery. His injured arm cleaned and neatly wrapped up from where they had to dig in and remove the bullet hours ago. Emma said that he'd put up a fight, and Belle briefly wondered if _her_ Rumple would ever do such a thing should he have been in his right memories. Probably.

"Rumple," she gently began carding her fingers through his hair on the top of his head. She leaned down. "Rumple, I'm here."

It wasn't a surprise that he couldn't respond, and she pressed her lips together tightly. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I know whatever I say now can't undo or erase what has happened. You were right about Hook. You were right." She stared at his face, blinking back tears. "He should've died. He should've... I should've let you kill him when you had the chance, but I..." she choked off, glancing away. "This is all my fault. There's good in you. There's _always_ been good in you. I thought that by sparing Hook, we could go on living our lives peacefully. But I was wrong." Blue eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter if he didn't kill you, or me. Either way, he had gotten his revenge."

Still no response. The steady beep of his heart monitor moving like a melody within her ears.

Moving to sit on the side of his bed (staying carefully away from his injured arm), she brushed her lips across his smooth temple. "I love you." She pulled back, the tears falling. "And I'm so... so sorry, Rumple."

Leaning down again, she pressed her lips gently against his, her eyes closing.

After gently pulling away, her heart raced to life as his eyes fluttered behind closed eyelids, and he slowly opened them, a small smirk ghosting across his lips. She held her breath, waiting.

And then strong fingers clamped around the back of her head, holding her tightly in place, and she squealed, her eyes wide and frightened at the painful grip he had on her. His other hand instantly moved to her throat, silencing her from screaming as she struggled to breath.

"Beautiful sentiment," he murmured with a deep growl, inching his face towards her own. The manly scent of his breath fanning across her gaping mouth. "And the name's 'Gold' by the way, dearie."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

"You're a pretty thing," Gold's breath was hot as it fanned across her gaping lips. "And people like me always deserve to have the nicest of trinkets."

His other hand began caressing the sides of her face, and Belle shivered at her body's betrayal of reaction. "Let me go," she whispered with fright, not at all looking offended that her lover just referred to her as nothing more than a replaceable object.

The grip behind her neck tightened as he chuckled. "Tell ya' what, sweetheart," he yanked her closer, and she cried out in pain. "You get me out of here, and maybe I'll reward you with a little fun, eh?"

He was drugged. The only sensible explanation she could assume. Although Rumplestiltskin admitted that he liked being a right bastard, he would never suggest engaging in random sexual activity with any woman. Including her. His love was proof of that enough. "Let go of me," she demanded, more forcefully.

"Careful what you say, pet." He sat up slowly, holding her in place, his lips sensuously skimming up and down her creamy throat, and Belle gulped, not liking this side of him at all. "I've never taken a fancy at being told what to do."

When gently bit against clothed-covered part above her breast, Belle had had enough.

She slapped him, hard, a mistake within itself that brought forth wrath.

* * *

"Amnesia?" Leroy's voice was loud with disbelief. His haggard, bearded face gaping at the Charming family.

"Looks that way," Mary Margaret murmured with a sigh. Her arms wrapping around herself tightly. Her husband stood close, his arm touching hers.

"But... how..." Leroy gestured wildly, like he was trying to make sense out of all this. The four of them crowding the lounge of the hospital, waiting for Dr. Whale's return.

"Leroy, you're a smart ass. Figure it out." The tone in the former queen's voice was tired and irritated as she pinched the bridge of her nose tightly. At his narrowing glare, she sighed again. "He fell over the town line."

"Hey," David whispered, touching her shoulder. "Calm down. Everything's fine." For the moment.

"No, everything's not fine and I can't calm down." she retorted impatiently, starting to pace. "Not when Belle's life had been on the line by that..." her voice trailed off at the mention of the unknown stranger who crashed into town. Literally. And Gold didn't remember a bloody thing about... anything, really.

"Well, from what I've just seen, she seems to be alright." The sudden voice of Emma announced as she walked down the stairs, her parents immediately coming to her. "Minus the cuts and abrasions, of course."

"And Gold?" David questioned, Leroy shoving past him gently.

"Crazy son of a bitch is more cranky than ever," Emma sighed, folding her arms.

"Not to mention that our secret intruder's life is just hanging by a thread," Mary Margaret folded her arms as well. "We have a choice. Let him live... or let him die."

"Letting him die would be easy," Dr. Whale suggested, coming to stand beside Emma, his face exhausted at the many patients he'd analyzed in this one night alone.

"Yeah, so is stealing this guy's identity but if we're gonna find out who he is, we'd need to do a little thorough research," without wasting time, Emma began illegally unlocking said guy's phone, flicking through what little identifications he had displayed. Leroy, David, Mary Margaret, and Whale all looking over her shoulder. "Okay, so we now know his name's Greg Mendell." Emma raised an eyebrow as she scanned through his phone photos. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Just you're average Joe... or Greg." she added lamely.

"And he just... drove into town?" Mary Margaret wondered, sounding stunned.

"Never seen him before," Leroy piped in without a doubt.

"Well, whoever he is, let's just try to keep Storybrooke under way until he leaves," Emma shoved the phone into her pocket. "God only knows what would happen should he find magic floating around." Her blue eyes narrowed at Whale. "Can you save him?"

The good doctor gulped. "I... I could try..."

"Can you save him or not?" Emma asked, her impatience growing.

"Look," Whale held up his hands, "as I said before, letting him die is _easy. _But unless you want to save him in seconds, Gold's power could instantly mend his split organs with a flick of his wrist..."

"We don't have time for Gold to waste his damn magic, not when he can't even remember that it even exists!"

"We can't just let this guy die like this." Mary Margaret was right. He was an innocent being who just happened to crash his car right into a pirate and nearly kill the greatest magician of all and his lovely princess.

Whale looked hopelessly back and forth between them, his mouth moving without words, until finally, he turned away. "I'll do what I can," he gestured towards one of the nurses, ready to relay his orders to send Mr. Mendell into the O.R. for surgery when another nurse came running to him from the side.

"We have a problem," she told him breathlessly, her eyes immediately going to Emma, and in that moment, the female Sheriff knew exactly what was going on.

* * *

It made quite the interesting scene watching two male nurses and a female doctor in getting their feared pawnbroker and landlord to calm down, especially since said pawnbroker was doing an impressive job at fighting them back, his rising threats about having them all evicted and jobless loud as they circled in a struggle. From her the back of the room, Belle watched, her body shaking. Had she known that her little hopeless attempt at trying to get him to release her would cause this much of a riot, she would have never tried to leave him.

"Christ," Emma came bounding in the room, and Mary Margaret immediately sought the shelter of her husband's strong embrace as they remained behind in the open doorway. With Leroy flanking the back, gaping like a fish out of water as he watched the scene play out before him.

"You're dead!" Gold shouted, teeth baring in a cruel smile as he began choking one of the male nurses. "You're all dead! You hear me? Every last fucking one of you!"

Belle began to cry, wondering exactly what sort of monster she was dealing with that wasn't her Rumple.

"Shut up already!" Emma grabbed the sedative injection from the helpless doctor and stabbed it into the side of Gold's throat, ordering them all to step back. After a few seconds, Gold began to slump forward, his slow, ragged breathing a full testimony of his drug-induced state.

Ruby came in then, immediately pulling Belle into her arms, offering her friend what comfort she could give. "I'm sorry," she told her, the both of them looking at her lover as he was gently shoved back against the bed, his head lolling easily to the side.

"So am I," pulling out of her friend's embrace and wiping her eyes, Belle walked out of the room. Everyone watching.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Emma began chasing after her, trying to tug at her arm.

"When he wakes up," Belle stopped walking as she stood in the hallway, turning to face the sheriff. "Let me know."

She began walking away again, but Emma didn't follow her this time. "Where you going?"

Belle kept on going, her blue eyes narrowing. "Somewhere."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all your kind reviews. I hope you enjoy this next segment. **

_**Chapter 4**_

Unlocking and stepping inside the pawn shop made her feel more relieved than she'd felt in the last hour alone as Belle closed the door behind her, her feet carrying her across the threshold. Her intent focused on only one thing at the moment.

Walking behind the counter, she slid open the glass-sliding case, her deft fingers carefully pulling out the chipped tea-cup. His most cherished possession. With a tired sigh, she raised it up to her eyes. She'd read somewhere that most people suffering from amnesia sometimes gain back a semblance of their old selves by seeing the thing they treasured most. But as she recalled, _most _people. Could Rumple be one of them? She could only hope.

Eyes widening, she looked at the door, and glared. "I'm sorry, but we're closed."

The woman dressed in blue and gold smiled, keeping her eyes locked on the many books that loitered the shelves next to her. "Oh, I'm not here for the shopping." She skimmed a thin finger down an old, leather spine. "But what interesting choices for read..."

Belle sighed, placing the cup down on the counter top. "How can I help you, Miss...?"

The woman's responding laugh was small, and unpleasant. "Now, dearie," Belle flinched at being called that particular nickname, "surely you must know who_ I _am."

And when she flashed her that all-too familiar smile that belonged only to one other person in this town, Belle immediately knew who she was dealing with. _"Cora."_

* * *

"How?" Belle wanted to know. It was impossible. Regina had sealed off the well. How could this woman be standing here before her?

"Never mind how," Cora gestured like it was a petty thing to discuss, "what truly matters is that I'm here, seeking only one thing in mind."

"Our deaths?" Belle took a step back, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not blinded by the many atrocities surrounding your reputation."

Cora touched her heart, or rather, where it should be. "You flatter me, darling, truly. Makes me wonder all the more what exactly our dear Rumple has shared with you about my dealings from the past."

"Leave him out of this," Belle said, her anger growing, "he wants nothing to do with you."

"Are you so sure?" Cora strutted up to the counter like the evil mistress she was, "But then, given his current situation, I'm not at all surprised. My pirate did quite the damage, wouldn't you agree?"

Her... pirate? "You." Belle's voice turned deadly low. "This was _your_ doing."

"No, dearie." Cora folded her hands in front of her. "It wasn't. Hook and I came here with very different intentions. His just happened to be... more aggressive?"

"What do you want?" Belle asked. If this woman truly wanted to kill her on the spot, she'd have done so already.

"My daughter."

Looking down at the chipped cup, Belle nodded. "You're not just after a little piece of information, are you?"

Cora smiled, amused at how truly smart this young woman's intuition was. "I'd like to make a trade," she stepped up closer to the counter, her eyes focusing on the cup as well, "but since I intended to make it with Rumple, I see no point in doing so now. Especially with you."

"Let me guess," Belle braced both hands on the counter top, "you wanted him to tell you where Regina is and to have everyone stay away from the both of you once you've found her, correct?"

Cora smiled, teeth showing. "Correct."

Nodding again, Belle asked, "And what exactly would you have given Rumple in return?"

"This." A magic box that had not been sitting beside her suddenly appeared, and Belle jumped back. "Open it."

Confused, Belle did as she bid, her eyes narrowing at the site of a large, white globe nestled inside. She looked at Cora in question, and the woman chuckled. "Only one out of a few will work, dear. Use it in good health."

"For what?"

Looking down at the globe, Cora touched it. "Why, to help him find his son, of course."

* * *

Now Belle was truly intrigued, and a little reluctant. "And how is this," she gestured towards the gift, "suppose to help him?"

"Magic, dearie," one of the many problem solvers out there that work best, "simply have him prick his finger for a little blood drop. You'll have your answer shortly after."

Belle chuckled, not at all sounding amused. "You make it sound so easy."

"My dear, nothing in life was never meant to be easy."

If Rumple didn't even have a clue as to what Storybrooke was like now, Gods only knows what would happen if he were to witness magic playing out before him.

She continued to study the globe with intense fascination, and it made her all the more curious. "Why help him?" She looked at the woman. "Why try to help him finish over three-hundred years of searching when he had nowhere to start since the curse became broken?"

And more importantly, how did she know about Bae?

Glancing away, Cora chuckled. "I guess you could say Rumple and I shared an... interesting relationship. Many years ago." She looked at Belle again. "But that doesn't matter now. He doesn't need me. Never has. But what he _does_ need, is you. You..." she caressed the globe with her fingertips, "and his son."

She pulled her hand back, her fingers folding together as she awaited Belle's answer. "Are you willing to make this trade? My daughter... for Baelfire."

Touching the globe, Belle considered the possibilities. Rumple had spent nearly his entire life into creating a curse that would take him one-step closer to Bae; having to wait another twenty-eight years until the Savior would break said curse. And now he was close. So close...

She clenched her fists. Rumple had entrusted her to find his son. She would not let him down.

She held out her hand. "Truce."

Cora took ahold of it firmly. "Truce," she agreed.

"Do you...?" Belle bit her bottom lip. "Do you have any spells that could return memory loss?"

The look of empathy she received was... unusually human. "I'm afraid not. But all curses can be broken."

"By True Love's Kiss." Belle should've known better.

"Indeed." Cora nodded, and took her leave. "You've worked a miracle once before. Let's see if you can do so again."

* * *

She had returned to the hospital the next morning, knowing full well that she would've returned to him regardless if Emma made the phone call or not. It had been one hell of a night, for all of them. Charming and the gang deserved a good day's rest.

She waved to Emma upon entering, her entire family heading on out. "Everything alright?"

The blond woman nodded tiredly. "Just... really need some coffee."

"And sleep," Mary Margaret added, holding her husband's hand. "Lots of it."

Belle nodded, feeling a little guilty at having left them like she did the previous night instead of sticking with them to the end. "I hope our stranger's okay."

"Oh, he's okay," Emma walked past her and out the door, "stellar."

"She's just really tired and anxious to get back home to Henry," explained Mary Margaret, touching her friend's shoulder, "call if you need anything."

"I will," Belle promised.

They said their goodbyes.

Upon seeing a security guard standing next to her lover's hospital room, Belle sighed. "He hasn't been that bad again, has he?" she asked, folding her arms.

The guard shook his head. "No, ma'am. Just taking precautionary measures." Looking over his shoulder at the window, he smirked. "He's actually been pretty good, and quiet. Thank God that's a relief."

Belle stared past him, her blue eyes trained upon the one man she loved more than life itself as he sat in his hospital bed, looking more comfortably refreshed and refined than he did only hours ago. He was reading a book, she noticed. "The Mysterious Island." Looking at the guard with a raised eyebrow, he shrugged. "Courtesy from your friend, Ruby. She told him that it was one of your favorite books. He didn't seem to mind."

Belle continued to stare through the window, her breath catching when cold, brown eyes glanced up directly towards her, captivating her. She gulped, facing the guard. "May I go in?"

He gave her a stern look, but nodded his consent.

After letting her inside like a gentleman, Belle stood inside the room in silence, feeling chilled despite the temperature's adequate heat from the heater.

Gold stared at her, his expression blank. She rubbed her arms, attempting to smile. "You're back."

Belle nodded, her eyes avoiding his own. "I am," slowly taking a step towards him, she pulled out a chair to sit next to him. "I imagine last night was... quite the trauma for you."

He scoffed, but didn't say anything against it. "So what now? Come to file a complaint against me?"

Despite his harsh words, Belle chuckled. "No. There won't be any charges. But you did manage to scare off more than half of the staff."

"They deserved it. The lot of them."

Looking down at the book in his hands, Belle gently asked, "Is it a good read so far?"

Gold stared down at the page where he'd marked with his two fingers, and scowled. "I've read better."

"Of course you have," she rolled her eyes good-naturedly. He wouldn't have read over half the book if it never caught his interest. Guess some things never changed.

"Why are you here?" Brown eyes glared at her. Taking in her newly dressed and cleaned state. Although he hated to admit it, she looked absolutely alluring wearing that green, form-fitting dress, black leggings, and grey cardigan. And God, what beautiful curls...

Taking in a deep breath, Belle folded her hands together as she rested them on her knees. "Do you, by any chance..." she bit her bottom lip, "have a son?"

* * *

It became awkwardly silent in the dim room. The only audible noise being that of the beeping monitor as Gold stared at the woman in shock, his lips pressed together in a tight grim. "What?" he hissed.

"A son," Belle prompted, trying to see exactly what was racing through his mind about this topic. "Nicknamed Bae?"

He looked away then, the bottom part of his lip trembling. "What do you know of him?"

Sitting up straighter, Belle sighed tiredly. "Not a lot I'm afraid. But I can find him for you. That is..." she watched his reactions carefully, "if you'd like me to."

His thumbs pressed tightly down into the pages in his hands, leaving a deep, wrinkled indention as he closed his eyes, and exhaled. He looked at her sharply. "Is he alive?"

It was a question she was totally unprepared to answer. "What?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, gently shaking her, which surprised her immensely compared to how he'd acted the previous night. "My son. Baden." he pleaded, his eyes wild. "Is he alive, or not?"

If he wasn't, there was no way in hell Rumple would've spent nearly four-hundred years to search for him. She had her answer. "Yes. He's alive."

The look he gave her was one of utter despair, then anger. "You're lying." He tightened his grip on her, and she gasped. "He's dead. She told me he was _dead."_

"Gold..." Belle grabbed his wrists, forcing him to look her in the eye. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know one thing is for certain- Bae _is _alive. He's alive, and he's waiting. Waiting for you to find him."

"No," he denied, baring his teeth, "you're lying."

"Why would I lie about something like this?" she bit back, glaring at him. "Look into my eyes, and tell me if I'm making this up."

He did, the dark brown shades of his pupils gazing into her soul as he grabbed her face, his long fingers framing around her cheeks, and Belle released a shaky breath, longing for his loving tenderness like how he used to touch her.

He released her then, his hands shaking with fervent intensity as he looked down at the book, his mouth hanging open. "My boy's alive," he whispered in wonder, then covered his face with his hands, a small sob running loose from his lips, "my boy's alive..."

Not entirely sure as to what to do, Belle hesitantly wrapped in arm around his shoulder, offering him comfort. "We'll find him, sweetheart. We'll find him."

It was a promise she intended to keep.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

Belle knew that if there was one person she could call during this particular situation, it was Emma. The two of them meeting at the front of the hospital with grim expressions. It was already almost eight o'clock in the morning, but if they were going to do this right, Belle needed to start somewhere and early.

"Thank you for coming," she told the sheriff, gesturing towards the entrance.

"No problem," the both of them walked side-by-side through the lobby, "judging by your call, I assume this is important?"

"I wouldn't be asking otherwise," they made their way up the stairs, refusing to take the elevator for in need of private conversation. "We need to find someone."

Emma glanced at her. "I'm listening."

"A boy. Or..." Belle closed her eyes, "a man." At seeing the familiar door number and, Belle quickly picked up the pace, her hand hesitating as she reached for the door handle. She faced Emma, who was right behind her. "His son."

"... Okay." Folding her arms, Emma asked, "got a name?" Finding people is what she did best, but in order to put that talent into position, she needed specifics. Or as much of them as possible. But Gold's _son? _This just took the cake out of all of them. Who even knew the old bastard could even breed?

"Baelfire." Belle answered, knowing that if her cursed Rumple was to share this sort of information with Emma, the name would've come out entirely different. But she wasn't about to go against her promise. They'd find his son together. Now if she could just persuade Emma to help them... "His name is Baelfire."

Emma nodded her head, slowly. Her eyes averting to a passing nurse, and it wasn't hard for Belle to figure out what she was thinking. Having a fictional name wasn't much of a helpful start. Hell, it was positively ludicrous. "Look, not to... burn the roses, so to speak, but..." she looked at Belle, "Having someone who walks around with a name like that is just... a tad bit odd, in this world. Now, if you gave me a pseudonym, or something of the sorts, I could probably..."

And then Belle held up her hand. "As grateful as I am that you're willing to help us, we don't have the luxury of a time for search-and-find by your way."

"Okay then," Emma looked a little baffled and confused, "so how would we...?"

"Leave that to me," Belle placed her hand on the handle, "let's just say that, although it can be an immense pain in the ass sometimes, magic does have it's use, and we need to talk to Rumplestiltskin." She twisted the knob, paused, then said, "he's probably not going to be happy to see you, though."

Emma gave her a look that clearly read "do I look like a give a damn?" as she patiently waited for Belle to open the door, and with a tired sigh, she did so. The lovely brunette taking the first step inside.

* * *

He watched them walk inside with cool patience, the edge of his lips frowning just a bit at catching sight of the tall blonde woman who'd done nothing but cause him trouble ever since he'd woken up in this damn space. The shorter woman, however, was a far better sight.

"Good morning," Belle greeted with a small smile.

Emma kept silent, standing in front of the door, her arms crossed.

Gold nodded, although he kept his eyes trained upon Emma. He was going to enjoy publically making a huge debacle over her once he was discharged and free to go home, and he couldn't wait to get started. "I see the Calvary has returned."

"How are you feeling?" Belle chose to change the subject, hoping that, for all their sakes, Emma wouldn't buy in to this antagonistic side of her lover. Regardless or not, they did need her help.

"I've been through worse," Gold scoffed, looking down at his untouched breakfast tray. "If you're here to release me, your assistance would be much obliged."

Belle nodded, dragging a lone chair to his bedside, averting her gaze when he shot her a cold stare. "Actually, we're here to help you, to find your son." she added for good measure.

Gold frowned. "We?" He glanced at Emma, his expression disdained.

"Yes." Belle smiled at Emma. "She's very good at finding people."

Gold snorted. "If it equals up to her injustice at abusing folks against their wills, then I'm sure she has a real knack for it."

The edge of Emma's jaw twitched in irritation, and Belle quickly said, "she's more than willing to help you find your boy, but in order to do that, we'll need some information... and your consent."

At this, Gold eyed her with faint curiosity. "My consent?" he repeated cooly. "For what?"

"What else can you tell us about your son?" Emma suddenly cut in, holding up her badge, "and before you even dare try to cut me another smart ass remark, yes, I am the town sheriff, and yes, you will respect that position of authority. Got it?"

Gold remained calmly silent, until finally, "as you wish... _Sheriff." _

It was a start, Belle thought, and Emma replaced her badge on her belt. "What's his name, and how long has it been since you've seen him?"

"Baden. Baden Alistair Gold. He'd be about... thirty-five, I think?" The man shook his head. "It's been so long... the mayor told me he was dead."

Emma slowly nodded her head, then frowned. _His son's middle initials spell 'bag?' _Imagine that. "Where did he go?"

"I'm... not sure. He was in Portland when they found the body," Gold answered gravely, looking every bit his age, "he just... left. Without a word."

A crushing feeling of sadness overwhelmed Belle's heart as she stared at her lover, and while knowing that these were the false memories that plagued his mind like a virus, nothing could've been further from the truth. Bae did leave him. Maybe not out of spite, but it was definitely out of Rumple's control.

While Emma shared the same concern as her friend, it was wise to play the part at being oblivious. They couldn't just tell him the truth straight up like Henry did with her. He was just a child after all, and children were known for drawing out their wild imaginations. If Henry had been a grown adult while trying to explain to her the truth and values of her and this town's origins, she'd probably would've admitted him into the psych ward, for his own good, and she had no doubt that Gold would've done the same thing to her or Belle should they spill the beans, so to speak. No, they needed to do this safely.

"Describe him for us." Belle encouraged him, folding her hands atop her lap.

"Dark brown hair, eyes like my own," Gold clamped his mouth shut, "this is ridiculous," he muttered, "a complete waste of my time. My son is _dead."_

"And the_ mayor _told you this?" Emma scoffed with derision, thinking back to when Regina had everyone run a completely arbitrary lifestyle. "Not likely. If you're one of the many poor souls who got fed Regina's bullshit and ate it, then I don't know what to tell you."

"I saw the body," Gold bit out, the fire behind his eyes burning, "I saw what remained of him from the fire incident. I was there when we held the funeral. I watched the casket become buried."

"And Regina just happened to know about your boy's death before you ever did? That's crazy. Rescue services don't just contact the town head before the father."

"She's right," Belle sided with Emma. "It doesn't make any sense."

Gold hadn't said a word about either of their theories, which was good, meaning that he was thinking things through. "She did bring back a body."

"One that happened to look like a teenage-size charcoal, right?" Emma took a step forward, her entire form radiating action. "Tell me something, when has Regina ever given you reason to trust her? She calls you up, tells you that your son is dead, and brings the body over to you, one that was toasted beyond recognition to the point where it looked like a badly grilled piece of steak?"

"And how would you know," Gold sneered, "if whether or not I was able to identify my own son's body that was laid right before me?"

"She doesn't," Belle's quiet voice startled him, his eyes widening as he looked at her, "but the look in your eyes says it all."

His lips pursing tightly together, Gold averted his eyes, his chest heaving.

"Regina lied to you, Gold." Emma told him. "And you're not the only one who's suffered because of it. Let us help you. We can find your son. He's alive. I know it. Belle knows it. We're here to help you. We want to help you."

"Why?" Dark, angry eyes flashed between the two of them. "Why would you want to help me?"

Silent, Emma looked at Belle, and turned away.

Belle sighed, knowing that the truth was always the better outcome, "I care for you," she said, placing a hand on his own, feeling him flinch, but he didn't pull away, "I've always cared for you."

He looked at her then, his expression a little sad and definitely confused, but she continued, "I know have you no memory of me. I wish you did. I can't even imagine how crazy it is, to suddenly have strangers thrusted into your life, without you having a clue as to how they know you, or why they'd ever want to help you. But we do, me more than anyone." She smiled sadly. "Believe it or not, you're not the man you think you are. There's good in you."

Gold continued to stare at her, not once removing his hand from underneath hers, and Emma cleared her throat, and they both looked at her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked Belle. "Alone?"

Belle gave him an apologetic smile. "You have nothing to fear or worry about. We'll fix this. Together."

She stood up, straightened out her dress, and followed Emma out into the hall. "Yes?"

"This is getting us nowhere," Emma was blunt to the point.

"Well, the memory loss is definitely challenging..." Belle began cautiously.

Exaggerated, Emma waved her hands. "Forget the damn memory loss. How are you we going to find someone who doesn't even exist in this world? Or at least, ours? Baelfire vs. Baden Alistair Gold? Baden isn't real. Baelfire is. I don't do false information."

I told you already," Belle calmly overrode Emma's deductions, "magic."

Emma's chuckle was without humor as she rocked on the balls of her heels. "Okay- how the hell are we gonna convince him that magic is real? I mean, you saw how crazy he- "

"I know how to find Baelfire," Belle replied, "or, at least, I was told how to find Baelfire, but look, it's gonna require some serious spell shock on his part, and if we're gonna do this right without losing our heads in the process, I have to try. Okay, Emma?" She pleaded with desperate eyes. "I have to try."

Emma gave her a long, hard frown, sighing with exasperation as she threw up her hands. "You're right. We don't really have a choice, do we?"

Belle shook her head. "We don't. And I wish we had all the time in the world, but the truth is, we just don't. But here's the truth of the matter- Cora is here. She's in Storybrooke. Now if we plan to stand a chance against her, I'll need him. I need my Rumple back."

Shoving her hands into her jean's pockets, Emma gazed up at the hospital ceiling, and closed her eyes. "At least tell me you have a plan."

Belle smiled. "Unfortunately, I don't. But then again, good things always don't happen to those who are detailed-oriented."

Emma had to agree with her.

* * *

Getting Gold discharged later on that evening was much less of a hassle than she feared, but Belle had been glad for the great reprieve of finally getting him home. Although both Emma and Dr. Whale had advised against releasing him due to his recent injury, she knew that this was probably for the best. Getting Gold on their side was first priority, no matter how much of a stubborn ass he would be. Besides, she had joked dryly to herself, her Rumple wasn't much different.

Emma had also been kind enough to drive them to his castle of a house, his Cadillac having been dropped off the night before after the incident. "Home sweet home," the good sheriff commented, and Belle smiled, the both of them watching as Gold patiently walked up the steps to his porch. She looked up at Belle, who stood on the outside of her car door. "You sure you'll be ok?"

Belle glanced back at her lover, watching at the way he flinched due to the pain of his recent injury, but nodded nonetheless. "If we're gonna do this..."

"We're gonna do this right," Emma finished with a sigh, then tugged on the gear shift, "listen, should anything happen..."

"I'll call you." Belle promised her.

Emma nodded. "Be safe, Belle," this was her encouraging way of saying good-bye.

Belle watched as her friend carefully reversed out of the driveway, and turned around once the yellow VW had driven away, taking the steps two at a time as she met Gold up on the porch, his expression unreadable.

"I can take care of myself from here, Miss French." He had been slightly more civil towards her after she'd been able to get him out of the hospital. Slightly.

He pulled out the keys from his pocket, only to have them snatched delicately away from Belle, who was smiling slyly. "Not so fast, Mr. Gold. Ah!" She held back the keys when he made a snatch for them. "Careful." She dangled the keys in front of him. "We wouldn't want to open up any of those stitches, now would we?"

"Miss French..." he warned with a low tone, but behind the seriousness of his eyes held the shadings of playfulness, and Belle smiled. He wouldn't hurt her. Of that she was sure of.

"You haven't fully recovered yet," sticking one of the keys inside of the doorknob, she twisted it, pushing the door wide open once it unlocked. He raised an eyebrow, and she mimicked the gesture. "Consider me as a... personal assistant." she described.

Gold studied his new, beautiful, "personal assistant" with a strange expression, and sighed. his hand motioning to the inside of his household. It was no use trying to argue, and as much as he hated to even admit it, he was beginning to enjoy this little beauty's company far more than he cared for. "Shall we?"

Belle nodded, allowing him to go inside first. "We shall."


End file.
